Wood homers, allows one run in Cubs' win

Published: Monday, April 21, 2014 11:26 p.m. CST

Caption

(AP photo)

The Cubs' Travis Wood (right) celebrates with Welington Castillo after Wood hit a three-run home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the second inning Monday at Wrigley Field. Castillo scored on the home run.

CHICAGO – Travis Wood hit a three-run homer and drove in four runs to back his nine-strikeout performance on the mound, leading the Chicago Cubs to a 5-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night.

Wood (1-2) gave up a run and six hits over seven innings. His four RBIs and nine strikeouts matched career highs.

Bronson Arroyo (1-2) allowed five runs and eight hits in 5 1-3 innings for Arizona. The Diamondbacks have lost nine of 10 games and have the worst record in the majors (5-17).

Welington Castillo hit a two-out bloop single to right field to score Starlin Castro from second for a 1-0 lead in the second inning.

Ryan Kalish followed Castillo's RBI single with a single of his own to extend the inning. Bronson Arroyo fell behind in the count 1-0 before Wood hit a hanging slider for a three-run shot into the left field bleachers. It was Wood's seventh career home run.

Wood drove in another run in the fourth with an RBI double that nicked off Arizona center fielder Tony Campana's glove near the wall. Arroyo stranded Wood at second by getting Emilio Bonifacio to ground out to end the fourth, but Wood's fourth RBI gave the Cubs a 5-0 lead.

Diamondbacks left fielder Mark Trumbo hit his MLB-leading seventh home run in the seventh. Trumbo hit the first pitch he saw from Wood into the center field bleachers to cut the Cubs' lead to 5-1.

One of the Diamondbacks' best chances to score against Wood came in the sixth. Arroyo led off with a broken-bat single to left field and Chris Owings singled to put runners on first and second with nobody out. But Wood struck out Hill, got Paul Goldschmidt to fly out to right field and forced Martin Prado to pop out in foul territory to strand the runners.

The Cubs had a prime opportunity to blow the game open in the sixth. However, they failed to score with the bases loaded and no one out.

Notes: The start of the Diamondbacks-Cubs game was delayed 1 hour, 1 minute because of rain. . Cubs manager Rick Renteria said RHP Carlos Villanueva will remain in the starting rotation and make his next start Friday against Milwaukee. . RHP Jake Arrieta (shoulder stiffness) pitched 5 2/3 innings at High-A Daytona, likely his last rehab start before being activated from the 15-day disabled list. Arrieta allowed five runs (three earned) on five hits with seven strikeouts and two walks. He allowed three home runs. . Diamondbacks CF A.J. Pollack was not in the lineup Monday after leaving Sunday's game against the Dodgers in the sixth inning with stiffness in the left side of his neck. Pollack will be going to see a chiropractor and is day to day. . OF Gerardo Parra was given the day off Monday. Parra is hitting .160 in his last six games. "He's played every game and you see certain things in his game, he's just grinding down a little bit," Arizona manager Kirk Gibson said. "Everything we've been going through, it's been tough on everybody and you just try and rotate the guys in and give guys a break."